Single ring element container closure



G. E. WAGNER SINGLE RING ELEMENT CONTAINER CLOSURE July 22, 1958 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 4, 1956 ATlORNEY Jply 22, 1958 I G. E. WAGNERSINGLE RING ELEMENT CONTAINER CLOSURE Filed Sept. 4, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Ill/l FIG.@

INVENTOR. GEORGE- E. WAGNEIL ATTORNEY 2,844,277 SINGLE RING ELEMENTCONTAINER CLOSURE George E. Wagner, Chicago, 111. assignor to TheSherwin- EVfilllams Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of lo vApplication September 4,1956, Serial No. 607,645

' 3 Claims. 01. 220*55 This invention relates to an improvement incontainer closures, wherein .the container is adapted to a use requiringrepeated, openings and closings as the contents of the container areconsumed.

More particularly, this invention relates to dual element containerclosures comprising an-inner containerstoppering disk element about theperiphery of which depend a plurality of flexiblefingers adapted toengage a peripheral groove of-a correlated container mouth and a ringelement adapted to circumscribe and compress said fingers into'a lockedposition in and about the peripheral groovebelow the container mouth.Dual element containerclosures of .theclass to which this improvementrelates are described generally in U. S. Patent 2,045,480, of July23,1936.

In order to best understand the present invention and its improvementover the prior art, I refer first to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded view,-in section, of a prior art container, inconjunctionwith innerdisk stoppering element b and the improved outerring element a of this invention.

Figure 2 is a with the closurein place.

Figure 3 is'an enlarged, fragmentary; sectional view along the line 3'3'of Figure 2.

Theabove figures detail a preferred form of the invention. A usefulmodification is illustrated in the following figures, in;which:

Figure 4 is a fragmentary exploded view, in section, of a prior artcontainer showing inner disk stoppering element e and a furthermodification of the improved outer ring element d-of this invention.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top .view of the container with the closureinplace; a

Figure 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view along the line 6'-6of Figure 5.

Referring to the figures generally, it will be observed that thecontainer 1 andthe disk stoppering elements b and c afford-nodistinction over the prior art. The improvement to whichthis inventionis directed lies entirely in the outer ring elementsa and d of the dualelement container closures illustrated.

Referring specifically to the preferred form of the invention asillustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3; container 1 terminates at its top inchime 2 made up of a plurality of thicknesses ofmaterial to provide aring of considerable strength- One of the metal layers of the chimeforms an inwardly and upwardly'drawn skirt 3 of generally funnel-shapewhich is again inwardly drawn to form a flat annular ledge or stop 4.Stop 4 terminates in peripheral groove5 which is slowly increased indiameter to form the mouth 6 of container 1 which mouth is finallydefined by bead 7. Bead 7 may be formed either inwardly or outwardly.

The inner disk elements b and e of the Figures 1 and 4 comprise a diskof domed center section 9 extending outwardly to form a relatively fiatannulus 10 adapted to fragmentary top view of the container UnitedStates Patent fit over bead 7 of container reverse'side thereof a softgasketing material 15 which 1 and containing on the provides a sealbetween the metal surfaces when the closure is in place. Depending fromthe outer periphery of flat annulus 10 are a plurality of yieldablefingers 16 whose tips terminate in rolls 17 adapted to engage peripheralgroove 5 of container 1 mouth section 0 or f when inner disk b or e isbrought home over the container mouth.

The improvement to which this invention is directed is in the ringelement a and d which are adapted to circumscribe yieldable fingers 16and to compress rolled tips 17 thereof into locking engagement in andabout peripheral groove 5 of the correlative container top section c orf.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a ring elementadapted to divide the downward stress placed upon containers of theclass described so that a part of the pressure is initially absorbed bythe inwardly drawn skirt 3 and the principal part of any excess of 1pressure is absorbed by chime 20f the container and its body Wall. v

In the preferred form of the. invention, secondary forces applied to thechime of the container tend to expand and increase the circumference ofthe chime. In the second modification, secondary forces are applieddirectly downward on the chime of the container.

As the modifications of the ring element of a dual closure hereindescribed'require less metal in their con i struction, they-are-somewhatmore economical than the Dual Ring Closure of James W. Dimmock describedin U.- S. Serial No. 607,644 application filed of even date andco-pending herewith, whose objectives are similar.

Referring now to the ring element a as illustrated particularly inFigure 3, the improved single ring a is ob- ".served to originateinannular lip 20 of less diameter than the inner container-stopperingdiskelement b. Lip 20 is adapted to .overlapthe outer periphery of disk 12defined by fingers 16. Ayertical annular wall 21 extends downwardly fromlip 20 to a point 22 approxilmately midway between-lip, 20 and flat stop4 of the correlated. container 1 which distance is sufficient to engageand compress depending fingers 16 at a-joint 25 of disk b. Thereafteralternate sections 26 of said wall. are extended outwardlyf anddownwardly to form a p flanged skirt 27 terminating in annular rolledbead 30.

In position on the correlated'container 1,'said head 30 is concentricwith and spaced apart from the container chime a suflicient distance(about 2" is sufficient) to allow insertion of a prying tool. In themodification of the invention shown in Figure 3, terminal bead 30 isconcentric with and of slightly smaller diameter than the correlatedcontainer. chime 2. Alternating with the flanged skirt sections 26 ofring a are a plurality of indented L-shaped sections 32 wherein verticalwall 33 of said L-section is a continuation of vertical annular I wall21 of ring a and the horizontal base 34 of said L-section is adapted torest upon annular stop or ledge 4 of container 1 below peripheral groove5 of container mouth 0.

When the container closure is in closed position as shown in Figure 3and loadingis applied downwardly upon lip 20 of ring a, initialdeflection or displacement occurs in skirt section 3 of correlatedcontainer 1. There? after additional downward pressure forces terminalbead 30 outwardly against the interior periphery of container chime 2.border for further movement to occur, chime 2 must be expanded indiameter, or bending must occur in skirt 27 immediately adjacent bead 30in which sections 26 and 32 terminate at their outer periphery.

In the ring modification shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 the elementsthereof are essentially the same as have been.

. Patented-July 22,1958- described in the first modification. Theessential differences reside in a lesser angle between vertical annularwall 21 of ring d and skirt 27 and a slightly larger diameter ofterminal annular bead 30 of ring d. Terminal head 30 of ring d isadapted'in dimension to be both concentric with, and of the samediameter as, chime 2 of correlative container 1.

In this modification, upon application of downward pressure upon bead20, initial deflection as before, occurs in skirt section 3 of mouth f.Thereafter downward pressure is transferred from terminal bead 30directly to the top of chime 2 of container 1.

In either case, the single ring herein described has considerableadvantage over the prior art single ring as described in U. S.2,045,480;

One advantage resides in its greater adaptability to automatic cappingprocedures, as described in U. S. 2,7 34,- 673, wherein the extradiameter of the base flange of rings a and d terminating in annular bead30 overcomes mechanical handling problems, and a second advantageresides in the extra strength afiorded the package against permanentdeformation of mouth sections and f upon stacking of cartons ofcontainers, one upon another, as in palleting of material for storageand shipment.

Minor modifications may be made in shape and general design toaccommodate the herein described ring to manufacture from a variety ofmaterials, other than sheet metal, without departing from the spirit ofthe invention as herein described and claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a container and dual closure combination comprising a generallycylindrical container having a mouth interiorly of and conjoined withsaid container wall forming an upper chime, said mouth extendinginwardly and upwardly from said chime in a generally frustro-conicalform terminating in an annular bead defining the lip of said containermouth, spaced below said lip an inwardly disposed annular groovedefining a horizontal stop in said conical wall; and said dual closurecomprising an inner container-stoppering disk element about theperiphery of which depend a plurality of flexible fingers, the tips ofwhich are adapted to be distended outwardly over the top portion of saidconical mouth to engage said annular groove, and a ring element adaptedto circumscribe and compress said fingers into locked position in andabout said container groove; the improvement in the ring element whichcomprises a single ring element originating in an annular head of lessdiameter than and extending inwardly over the top of the inner diskelement, depending from the outer periphery of said annular bead avertical annular wall extending downwardly a distance sulficient toencompass and compress against the depending fingers of said diskand'thereafter expanding outwardly and downwardly to form a flangedskirt terminating in an annular bead concentric with said containerchime, said bead adapted in dimension to contact with said chime whensaid container mouth is under compression, and spaced about theperiphery of said skirt a plurality of indented L-shaped sections, thevertical wall of said L being a continuation of the vertical dependingannular wall of said ring and the horizontal base of said L adapted torest upon the lower horizontal terminus of said stop and peripheralgroove in said container mouth.

2. In a container and dual closure combination comprising a generallycylindrical container having .a mouth interiorly of and conjoined withsaid container wall forming an upper chime, said mouth extendinginwardly and upwardly from said chime to form a tapered throatterminating in an annular bead defining the lip of said con- 4 tainermouth, spaced below said lip an inwardly disposed annular groovedefining a horizontal stop in said tapered throat, and said dual closurecomprising an inner container-stoppering disk element about theperiphery of which depend a plurality of flexible fingers, the tips ofwhich are adapted to be distended outwardly over the top portion of saidtapered throat to engage said annular groove, and a ring element adaptedto circumscribe and compress said fingers into locked position in andabout said container groove; the improvement in the ring element whichcomprises a single ring element originating in an annular head of lessdiameter than and extending inwardly over the inner disk element;depending from the outer periphery of said annular bead a verticalannular wall extending downwardly a distance suflicient to encompass andcompress against the depending fingers of said disk and thereafterexpanding outwardly and downwardly to form a flanged skirt, said skirtin turn terminating in an annular bead of slightly smaller diameter thanthe correlated container chime, said head adapted to rest upwardly apartfrom but concentric with said upper container chime; and equidistantlyspaced about the periphery of said skirt a plurality of indentedL-shaped sections, the vertical wall of each of said Ls being acontinuation of the vertical annular wall of said ring and thehorizontal base of said L adapted to rest upon the lower horizontalterminus of said stop of said container and below the peripheral groovein said container mouth.

3. In a container and dual closure combination comprising a generallycylindrical container having a generally conical mouth interiorly ofandconjoined with said container wall forming an upper chime, said mouthextending inwardly and upwardly from said chime to form a tapered throatterminating in an annular bead defining the mouth of said container top,spaced below said opening an inwardly disposed annular groove defining ahorizontal stop in said tapered throat, and said dual closure comprisingan inner container-stoppering disk, element about the periphery ofwhichdepend a plurality of flexible fingers, the tips of which are adapted tobe distended outwardly over the top portion of said tapered throat toengage said annular groove, and a ring element adapted to circumscribeand compress said fingers into locked position in and about saidcontainer groove; the improvement in the ring element which comprises asingle ring element originating in an annular head of less diameter thanthe inner disk element and extending downwardly a distance suflicient toencompass and compress against the depending fingers of said disk andthereafter expanding downwardly and outwardly to form a flanged skirt,said skirt in turn terminating in an annular bead concentric with, ofsubstantially the same diameter as, but spaced above, said containerchime and adapted to contact with said chime under compressive loads onsaid container mouth; and equidistantly spaced about the periphery ofsaid skirt a plurality of indented L-shaped sections, the vertical wallof said L being a continuation of the vertical depending annular wall ofsaid ring and the horizontal base of said L adapted to rest upon thelower horizontal terminus of said stop below the peripheral groove inthe container mouth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,386,742 Taliaferro Augv 9, 1921 2,748,976 Magnesen June 5, 1956FOREIGN PATENTS 817,255 Germany Oct. 15, 1951

